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Friday, October 11, 2013

[Week 1] Filipino Friday: Hello, Reader

Hello, Reader! Let’s get to know you, and more importantly, what kind of reader are you? Laura E. Kelly released an infographic about Reader species — under what Domain/Class/Family/Genus/Species do you fall under? Give examples, and feel free to talk about why you belong to that species. Who knows, you may find readers in your own genus. ;)

There's just so many things in this infographic that describe my reading habits that it took me quite a while to read through the whole thing. But here are the qualities that I think describe me best as a reader:

Compulsive - Books as Love Objects - Cherished

I am more of the OCD reader, book preserver, book worshipper, and hoarder. I love my books so much that I wrap them in plastic and keep them stacked in my bookshelf. I do loan some of my books, but only to those who know how to take care of it the same way I do (or those who've accepted the consequences should they fail to take proper care of them. >:D). I'm particularly OC when it comes to buying new books—no creases on the cover and inner pages. I absolutely hate it when the spine gets creased, so I make sure not to open them too much—just enough for me to read the text. And as for hoarding...last month I bought more books than I could read (thanks to the nationwide NBS sale and awesome Kindle freebies), but hey, I regret nothing! I love bargain books and I don't deny it. :)

Situational

The Comfort Reader. Whenever I feel tired of sifting through my growing to-read pile, I always go back to my comfort reads: David Eddings's Malloreon and Belgariad series. I love this light fantasy series to bits, and I never get tired of re-reading the story even if I know how it all ends. It's like meeting and hanging out with old friends again.

The Kindle Convert. One word: convenience. And the fact that I get to discover new authors and read other genres. I still buy books, but they are mostly from local authors to support homegrown talent.

Social

The (Sometimes Way Too Dogmatic) Evangelist. I can only relate to this because I've converted a few friends to read Eddings's fantasy, and so far they all loved it. :)

Free Range

The Cross-Under. I've been reading A LOT of YA books lately. And reminiscing the good times by re-reading Sweet Valley High, Love Stories, Sweet Dreams, and Nancy Drew books. Thank God for bargain book stores that still sell these treasures!

It's fun to see how much I've grown as a reader and how reading has become a huge part of my life. How about you? What kind of reader are you?

Filipino Friday, is a weekly meme leading to the Filipino ReaderCon that encourages participation of the Filipino readers everywhere. The third Filipino ReaderCon will be on November 9 at the Rizal Library, Ateneo de Manila University. The event celebrates readers and reading in the Philippines.